London is home to UK’s most visited tourist attractions

The UK’s top ten most visited attractions of 2008 are all located in the capital according to figures published by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.

With almost 6million visitors, a 10% increase on 2007, the British Museum heads the list which also includes the Tate Modern and Tower of London. The National Maritime Museum scored the largest percentage increase with a 21% rise.

The figures have been welcomed by Visit London, the capital’s tourism body. Interim CEO Sally Chatterjee, Interim CEO said the body “are absolutely delighted with the results of the annual ALVA survey.”

“London is a truly unique city with so much for visitors to see and do. It is no surprise that London attractions fill all top ten positions and continue to attract huge numbers of both domestic and international visitors.”

Top ten attractions of 2008 (visitor numbers and increase on 2007 in brackets):

British Museum (5,932,897 +9.5%)

Tate Modern (4,862,581 -6%)

National Gallery (4,382,614 +6%)

Natural History Museum (3,698,500 +2.7%)

Science Museum (2,705,677 -0.3%)

Tower of London (2,161,095 +9.6%)

Victoria and Albert Museum (2,065,300 -15%)

National Maritime Museum (2,051,270 +21%)

National Portrait Gallery (1,843,266 +15%)

St Paul’s Cathedral (1,687,861 +4%)

Visit London is currently running major advertising campaigns to promote the capital to tourists from Europe and North America. Last week Mayor Boris Johnson announced that every pound spent promoting the capital in those territories brought in £10 and £36 pounds respectively.

Comments

“Boris Johnson announced that every pound spent promoting the capital in those territories brought in £10 and £36 pounds respectively.” Well he can announce it but it doesn’t make it true – what is true that politicians love spending our money then giving us cod and facile explanations of how it represents “investment”. There is no way to prove this absurd figure, plucked out of the air with no scientific or economic evaluation done which would pass any test. And incidentally, Boris Livingstone – who has been Mayor since 2000 – has not changed his tune on this for nine years…